APPRENTICE MAGE

While most accomplished wizards rarely stoop so low as to hire themselves out as mercenaries, some younger, less experienced mages see mercenary work as a good way to sharpen their skills and fatten their purses. Lacking the talents needed to demand high fees for casting a spell or two, these young apprentices hire on as magical support for adventurers. W hile their magic is weak, any party that needs a few extra spells in reserve finds an apprentice mage a good bargain.

Tactics

Most young wizards rely on fighters, barbarians, and other tough warrior-types to shield them from the enemy, casting their spells from relative safety behind a shield wall. W hile inexperienced, young wizards are headstrong and independent, preferring to use their magic as they see fit rather than accepting orders from others. If engaged in melee or under heavy enemy missile fire, apprentices tend to run for their lives rather than stand by and weath­ er the assault. After all, a young wizard dreams o f becom­ ing an archmage some day, and dying isn’t part of that equation.

Examples

D ellio the Green: After a major mishap during an alchemy experiment left Dellio with bright, green skin, the sensitive, irritable young man left school to seek his own fortunes. Though the effects o f that mishap have long since worn off, Dellio still feels shame at his failure. Rather arrogant and boastful, he expected to quickly leap to the head of his class at the academy, and was both frus­ trated and angered that other students consistently out­ performed him. Dellio shirks many duties, and prefers to skate by on his natural ability, as he has yet to learn the value o f hard work. Instead, he blames favoritism and per­ sonal vendettas, both figments of his imagination, for his failure in school. Dellio’s arrogance is reflected in his con­ descending tone, overblown manner, and tendency to talk down to others. He hopes to impress a powerful, adventuring mage with his skill and earn an apprentice­ ship.

Trianna U nderholm : At a young age,Trianna's parents knew there was something different about their daughter. She could open doors with a wave of her hand, and her supposedly invisible, imaginary friend had a disturbing tendency to pick up her toys and carry them about the house. As she reached adolescence, she learned to chan­ nel her powers and control them. Her parents hoped to scrape together enough cash to send her to a wizard’s school, but the headstrong young woman decided other­ wise. Proud o f her sorcerous ability and determined to master them on her own, she struck out for the city to find her fortune. Currently, Trianna seeks to hire on with

a band of experienced adventurers, hoping to learn from their tricks and actions in order to prepare herself tor a life of adventure. An independent-minded, stern young woman, she isn't afraid to speak her mind even amongst more accomplished adventurers, but she is smart enough to recognize and heed good advice.

Arrogant Apprentice, Half-elf Wiz2: CR 2; SZ M (humanoid); HD 2d4; hp 6; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 Dex); Atk Staff +1 melee (ld6) or light crossbow +3 ranged (ld8); SA Spells; SQ Half-elf qualities; SV Fort +0, Ref+2, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 8; AL LN. Skills: Concen­ tration +5, Craft (woodcarving) +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Spellcraft +7. Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration. Spells Prepared (4/3): 0-detect magic, flare, read magic, resistance; 1 - anim ate rope, enlarge, sleep. Spellbook: 0 - all; 1 - anim ate rope, enlarge, erase, mage armor, shocking grasp, sleep, true strike, unseen servant. Possessions: Staff, light crossbow, 10 bolts, 50 ft. rope, 2 scrolls o f mage armor, scroll o f sleep, scroll o f true strike.

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Young Sorceress, H u m a n Sor3: CR 3; SZ M

(hum anoid); H D 3d4+6; hp 15; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 bracers); Atk Shortspear +1 melee (1 d8) or masterwork light crossbow +3 ranged (ld 8 ); SA Spells; S Q Spells; SV Fort +2, R e f+2, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 12, W is 10, Cha 16; AL CC. Skills: Concentration +7, D iplom acy +6, Hide +4, Spellcraft +7. Feats: C om bat Casting, Dodge, Toughness. Spells Known (6/6): 0 - daze, detect magic,

disrupt undead, mage hand, prestidigitation; 7 - magic missile, ray o f enfeeblement, spider climb.Possessions:

Shortspear, masterwork light crossbow, 10 bolts, + 7 bracers o f armor, necklace o f fireballs (type I).

ARCHER

Experts with the bow or crossbow, archers provide fire support for an adventuring party and serve as emergency close range fighters when the situation forces them into action. Archery is a specialized skill that requires training and practice to master. W hile the average warriors can pick up and fire a bow, only an expert can aim his shots into a melee to avoid striking allies and target vulnerable enemies, such as adepts or wizards.

Tactics

Archers prefer to keep out of melee, and if they have a chance most seek higher ground or some other terrain that allows them to escape charging opponents by hin­ dering their progress. Archers know their place in battle, and they focus on maintaining clear firing lines to the enemy. Normally, archers fire upon those opponents that pose the greatest threat to them, such as spellcasters or warriors with ranged weapons.

Examples

A rth al N ightw hisper: The elf king’s army is known for its elite unit o f archers, and as a product of their intense training programs Arthal's skill with the bow is second to none amongst his mercenary comrades. Arthal approaches his craft as if it was a fine art, spending hours each day tending to his bow, his arrows, and challenging himself to improve his technique. The elf scours the bat­ tlefield after a victory, criticizing his missed shots and tak­ ing pride in arrows that find an eye socket or other criti­ cal point. Arthal is moody and sullen, and his detached demeanor in battle gives him the air o f a cold-blooded killer. He left the army out of boredom, and though he craves action he shows little enthusi­ asm for it. Arthal rarely shows emo­ tion, and his voice has a flat, aton­ al quality. Some believe the elf

is a little too detached, and hint that his disregard for life hints at a deeper sadness.

Jolek o f Tendek: A loud, boisterous jokester, Jolek served several years in a merce­ nary band before deciding to strike out on his own. Outside of combat, Jolek brags of his skill with the bow and claims he

/f-i has mastered every ranged > V 0Rrj weapon he knows of. As he is nor-

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mally weighed down by a wide variety o f arms, this claim could be true. However, in battle he has an unnerving ten­ dency to lock up with indecision. W hen faced with a charging enemy, he often wastes time choosing a target. Jolek denies he has any problems keeping his cool, and has broken a few contracts after he felt wrongly accused of cowardice.

Elf M arksm an, Ftr3: CR 3; SZ (hum anoid); H D 3dl0; hp 20; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); Atk Short sword +4 melee (ld 6 + l) or longbow +8 ranged (ld 8 ); SQ Low-light vision, elf bonuses and im m unities; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 9. Skills; Craft (fletcher) +6, Swim +7. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, W eapon Focus (longbow). Possessions: Masterwork longbow, short sword, 30 arrows, 30+7 arrows, studded leather armor. H um an Archer, War3: CR 2; SZ M (hum anoid); HD 2d8+2; hp 12; Init +2; Spd 20 ft. (chainm ail), base 30 ft.; AC 17 (+2 Dex, +5 armor); Atk Club +2 melee (ld6) or longbow +4 ranged (ld 8 ) or heavy crossbow +4 ranged (ld lO ) or javelin +4 ranged (ld 6 ) or light ham m er +4 ranged (ld 4 ); AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, W ill-1; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10. Skills: Clim b +5, Ride +7, Swim +5. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot. Possessions: Club, longbow, heavy crossbow, 3 javelins, 2 light ham m ers, chainm ail armor, 40 arrows, 20 bolts.